Observation device



July 23, 1935. B. E. EDWARDS 2,009,340

OBSERVATION DEVICE Filed Nov. 8, 1954 Patented July 23, 1935 UNETE D OBSERVATION ewer Bert E. Edwards, mgnes; Application November 8,1934; seen.m'752:16s- 4 Claims... (Cl. 128-i-52) This invention" relates "to an observation device and has for its object-to provide; in a manner as hereinafter-"set'forth," a device of theclass referred 'to *for reproducing visually the exact A Y condition of a persons-arch'toenable chiropodists and"foot'*specialists; 'as -well as a patient -to observestudy "andrealize a weakness or'falling"arch- -'of 'the' foot when the latter is under pressure;- =Althoug1r"the device is designed pri marilyfor-use by'chiropodists and foot specialists ranged; to wisually reproduce the condition of the arcl'r'of a" persons foot-at-a point to be conven iently" observed; studied; and examined "by a chiropodist or *foot" specialist.

it "F'urthei"objects =of=the invention are to pro vide;--ina manneras hereinafter-set forth, a

device "of theclass referred-to, which is simple in its construction and arrangement, strong,- durable; compact-," thoroughly efficient for the purpose intended thereby} readily repaired when occasion requires and comparativelyinexpensive to manufacture.-

Tdth above 'ends essentiallyjand' to others which may hereinafter appear, the invention con-" sists of such'parta'and such combinationor" parts which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device,

Figures 2 and 3 are transverse and longitudinal sections of the device on line 2-2 and 33 respectively, Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the device showing the image reproduced thereby.

The device comprises a. rectangular open top housing 5 formed of a bottom 5, a pair of side walls I, 8 and a pair of end walls 9, I0. The side and end walls of the housing are detachably connected together in abutting relation. Each end wall is provided on its inner face, in proximity to its top edge, with a groove H of a length to extend from one side edge to the other side edge thereof. Each side wall is formed on its inner face, in proximity to its top edge, with a pair of spaced endwise aligning grooves l2, [3 closed at their inner and opening at their outer ends. The grooves l2, l3 extend from the end edges of a side wall to a point spaced from each side of the vertical median of such wall.

55 Arranged within and extending across the upper portion of ho'usingi, at the transverse cen-"' 'ter of the latter, is a trough Mformedof a pair of end walls 15,115, a pair/of ;side walls;

I l, 'l 8,"and a bottom I 8 secured against the'lower edgesof and flush Wit11thsald side "andlend walls. The end walls t5, I6 are of greaterthickness and of materially'lesslength than side 'walls These latter are secured "to the side j edges of the walls l 5,16; 1 The top edges of the walls 5, 16 are disposed- -in*alignmentwvith theeof the grooves l Ir Byii'this. arrangemen-tkth trough-5 l 4 has nits topiwarrangedv below the r to edges 10f the'walls 9, I0. ;r,-The%.walls:l 5," l6,*'?l,1,""l8 Hi and-bottom w are formedsof a materialtwhich will prevent the zpassagegof-lighttherethroughr top walls-btthegrooves 12', I3. 'l'li'e top- 'edges of the"-walls? ll, l8 align with the bottom-edges The wall H) of thehousing :5 is formed with aanopening .20" which; aligns. with -.a cutout- 2| pro- 'videdin the wall..l6 of the troughl l; Theopening 2.0 andcutoutil -coact to provide a passage,

of theQgroovsJ l; 'as.well.as seating upon the for circuit connections 22, 23 "into the trough. 1.4.

Mounted in .the opposing grooves l2 andone.

wall l8, is'atransparentp'aneli25 constituting a foot" support. Mounted in the opposing grooves" 13 and-the other groove ll, as*we1lastseating" upon the wall n atransparent panel 26 icon stituting a window forviewingthe shadowgraplr produced by the device. The panels 25, 26 are to abut the closed inner ends of the grooves [2,

The panels 28 seats upon the inner marginal portions of the upper faces of the panels 25, 26. The side edges of member 28 are flush with the side edges of the walls IS, IS and the outer side faces of the walls I1, 18. The member 28 is a closure for the top of trough l4 and forms, in connection with the latter and inner edges of the panels 25, 28, a chamber 29 for an illuminating device 30 in the form of an electrical lamp. The member 28 fur-- ther constitutes a suspension respectively for a switch 3| which depends therefrom into chamber 29 and an angle shaped reflector 32 which also depends therefrom into the chamber 29. The member 28 is formed of opaque material.

Within the housing 5 is arranged a pair of oppositely disposed spaced mirrors 33, 34 which extend from the walls 1, 8 respectively to the bottom 6. Each mirror is set at an angle of 45 and extends transversely of housing 5, ,The upper ends of the mirrors 33, 34 are spaced a substantial distance below the panels 25, 26 respectively. The lower ends of the mirrors are spaced from each other. The mirrors 33, 34 are set in grooves in walls 9, 10 as illustrated in 34.

The reflector 32 includes'a horizontal part 35 flector 32 at that end of the latter adjacentswitch 3| is a depending angle-shaped supporting bracket 38 for the lamp 30. or circuit connection 22 has interposed therein the switch 3|. The conductor or circuitconnection 23 leads directly to lamp 30.

The light rays from the lamp 30 are directed to the inner end edge of the panel 25 for the purpose of illuminating the bottom of the foot of a person to result in the device'producing a shadowgraph of said foot bottom. The light rays also illuminate the chamber 29. The walls of the compartment 39 are stained black. The compartment 39 receives no direct light from compartment 29 and depends upon the light rays which travel through the panel 25 to reproduce the image of the bottom of the foot in mirror 33 and reflect it into mirror 34 for observation When the device is used the patient positions one of his feet under pressure upon the panel 25 and the image of the bottom of the foot appears in mirror 33; From the latter the image is reflected in mirror 34 and viewed therein through the window provided by the panel 26.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown, it is to be understood that various changes in the size, shape, material and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

The conductor sides and ends of the housing adjacent the top edge of the latter, and one constituting a foot support and the other a window for viewing an image, said panels being disposed in a plane for closing the major portion of the open top of the housing, a pair of oppositely upstanding inclined mirrors positioned within and against the ends, sides and bottom of the housing, directly below and in spaced relation to said panels for reflecting an image received by one to the other, a closed opaque hollow oblong structure providing a chamber interposed between central upper portions of the inner faces of the sides of the housing, said panels having their inner ends interposed between the upper ends of the sides and the top of said structure, the latter closing the remaining portion of the open top of said structure, a reflector within said chamber 7 and including a vertical part having a non-refleeting surface opposing the inner end edge of that panel constituting the window and a reflecting surface for directing light rays to the inner end edge of the other of said panels, and a controllable electrical illuminating means controllable from one of the walls of said structure and including a lamp suspended in said chamber.

2, The invention, as set forth in claim 1, having the inner end edges of said panels flush with the inner faces of the sides of said structure. I

3. The invention, as set forth in claim 1, having the controllable illuminating means including a switch carried by the top of said structure and a pair of circuit conductors extending into,

said chamber, one of said conductors having said 1 switch interposed in that portion thereof ar- 

